According to the Russian business daily Kommersant and the state-backed news agency TASS, Russian e-commerce Wildberries is shifting massive fulfillment capacities to Kazakhstan following a wave of targeted drone strikes on its domestic facilities. Industry reports indicate the company has lost at least 17 percent of its Russian warehouse space since July due to ongoing unmanned aerial vehicle attacks, while local landlords increasingly refuse to lease new properties over terrorism and drone insurance exclusions.
Kazakhstan Expansion Plans and Warehouse Development
Wildberries is aggressively scaling up its footprint in Central Asia to offset domestic capacity crunches. According to Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Šakkalijev, cited by TASS, the firm’s local branch currently operates approximately 46 tisíc square meters of leased warehouse space in Kazakhstan.
Construction is already underway on two major logistics hubs. The company is building roughly 160 tisíc square meters of storage space in Almaty and another 100 tisíc square meters in Astana. Kazakh authorities confirmed they received no official state-to-state requests regarding the buildout, noting the developments stem strictly from direct agreements between Wildberries and private real estate owners. Both new logistics complexes are scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year, according to Šakkalijev.
Drone Attacks and Insurance Exclusions on Russian Soil
The rapid pivot toward Central Asia coincides with severe security challenges inside Russia. Radio Svoboda reported Wednesday that the Ukrainian military has struck more than ten warehouses belonging to the company in recent weeks, including a major fire at a fulfillment facility in Alexin, located in the Tula region.
These persistent strikes have triggered a commercial real estate crisis for the retailer. According to sources cited by Kommersant, property owners across Russia are refusing to sign new lease agreements with Wildberries. The underlying issue is risk management rather than raw square footage availability. Real estate market insiders told the newspaper that standard commercial property insurance policies for large industrial facilities explicitly exclude acts of terrorism and drone strikes, leaving landlords vulnerable to catastrophic losses when leasing to high-profile targets.
Did you know? While Russian and Kazakh officials officially maintain that the cross-border expansion was mapped out long before the recent security incidents, major industry publications like Kommersant and Forbes link the accelerated shift directly to the operational bottlenecks caused by drone incursions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Wildberries expanding its warehousing in Kazakhstan?
The company is scaling up logistics in Kazakhstan—including new facilities in Almaty and Astana—to secure stable fulfillment capacity following severe warehouse losses in Russia.
How much storage space has Wildberries lost in Russia?
According to Forbes, the internet retailer lost at least 17 percent of its total Russian warehouse space by July due to ongoing drone strikes.
Are Russian property owners willing to rent to the company?
No.
When will the new Kazakh facilities open?
According to Kazakh Trade Minister Arman Šakkalijev, the new warehouses in Almaty and Astana are slated to open in the first quarter of next year.
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